After the Snap
by Tori9226
Summary: It's been two weeks since the Snap. Surviving Avengers are gathering in Wakanda, trying to figure out their next step. (Rated T for a tiny bit of language)


**Had an idea after seeing Ant Man & the Wasp. The science in here is probably way over-simplified, sorry. **

**I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Flecks of dust.

That's all that was left of half of the Avengers. Half of the world. And probably half of whatever was out there in the universe.

It had been two weeks since the Snap. Wakanda acted as the new Avengers headquarters. Outside, the world was in chaos. Few world leaders survived, the U.S. president among them. He managed to keep some control over the country, but groups gripped by fear set up their own protections in parts of the states.

After the loss of his family, Clint joined the remaining team in Wakanda.

"Have you heard from Lang?" Steve had asked once the archer landed in the city.

"Nothing," he replied sadly. "There was what was left of some scientific setup on his roof. A few piles of dust were nearby."

That equipment had now been in the lab with Bruce Banner for three days. He was given a place to work inside Shuri's lab. Shuri had promised to help him later today, after taking care of some of her royal duties. The loss of her brother was surely taking a toll, but she didn't show it. She was every part of the strong leader her city needed right now.

For now, the team was focused on Tony Stark. Thanks to Rocket and his odd communication device, they were able to contact Stark through one of the racoon's companions. Steve, along with Rhodey and Natasha, were now waiting for Stark to land in Wakanda. Part of the city's royal guard and Shuri stood beside them, waiting to take Tony to her lab. Tony had managed to give them a very brief rundown of what happened, so they knew he was injured.

A warning chimed from the beads wrapped around Shuri's wrist. She gave the order for a section of the shield to be lowered.

"They're here," she smiled.

Steve looked up to see an oddly shaped ship cruise through the open section. A few heartbeats later, it was landing in front of them.

"Tony," Rhodey rushed forward when his friend stumbled from the ship. "What the hell happened?"

"Thanos," the billionaire's voice strained. "He's a real dick."

Rhodey smiled, and Natasha stepped forward to hug her old friend. Shuri was next.

"Mr. Stark? I don't mean to rush your welcome, but we need to tend to your wounds. Your pilot is welcome to follow."

Together, Rhodey and Natasha helped Tony onto the floating stretcher. Steve hung back. He wasn't sure if he was welcome. It had been years since the pair had spoken.

A blue alien stepped from the ship, taking Steve's attention away from his friends.

"Hello," he greeted carefully. The creature – woman? – did not look comfortable on this planet.

"I didn't think you Terrans were this advanced," she mumbled, looking around the city.

"What?"

"It's what we call humans."

"Oh," Steve filed that away in his memory. "Well, this city is particularly special. Most humans still don't even know it exists."

The alien nodded, as she continued to scan her environment.

"I'm Steve Rodgers," he continued. "Rocket says you are a member of his team?"

"My sister was," sadness tugged at her voice. Steve noted the way she referred to her sister – she must've disappeared along with the others. "They took me in a few times."

"Does Rocket know about your sister?"

"I hadn't told him yet, but I assume he's figured it out. He's smart for … whatever creature he is."

"We call him a racoon," Steve paused for a moment before continuing. "What's your name?"

"Nebula."

"Thank you for bringing our friend home, Nebula."

"Where is Rocket?"

Steve pointed to a building, near Shuri's lab. "We've all been given rooms to sleep in there. You'll find him on the 10th floor, and he'll show you where you can sleep. I can take you, if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary," she said, before stalking off.

Steve watched her leave. He knew he should head to the lab to check on Tony, but he was still unsure.

"You know he's probably just as uncomfortable as you are."

"Dr. Banner," Steve turned to see his friend leaning against a door. "I thought you were in the lab?"

"They'll need space to work on Tony," Bruce stepped up to stand beside Steve. "Besides, I'm stumped. I'll need Shuri's help to figure out how that machine works. Probably Tony's too. He might be more familiar with Pym's technology than I am."

"Why?"

"Pym used to work with SHIELD. I have a few ideas of what it is, but since I've been out of the loop for a few years, Tony might know more."

The two men started to walk toward the lab.

"Any word from Pepper?" Bruce asked, after a moment of silence.

"Sharon's on her way here with her now," Steve replied. "Should be here before nightfall."

The group had struggled to get in touch with Pepper after the Snap. At first, they feared she was a pile of dust somewhere in New York City. Luckily, she finally reached out to them about three days later. She had been hiding in a bunker inside their apartment. They wanted to bring her to Wakanda immediately, but she refused. She helped them reach out to other team members, and gather some of Tony's gear. She, along with a few surviving members of SHIELD spent the last two weeks locking down the Avengers facility. Anything too dangerous to be left behind had already been shipped to Wakanda.

"How's Sharon doing?" Bruce asked.

"Shaken up, but she's tough. She'll be okay."

"Once she's here, we'll have everybody back in one place. What's next?"

"I don't know," Steve sighed, stopping to sit on a nearby bench. He put his head in his hands. "I honestly have no idea what to do."

"The team is back together," Bruce pointed out, sitting down beside him. "We'll figure something out."

"We're missing the other half of the team, Dr. Banner."

"I'm well aware of that Captain," he said. "But we have a team. This isn't you versus the universe."

Steve's only response was to continue staring at the ground.

"Steve, you need to talk to him. You've been anxious since I called you from his phone."

"You didn't see the hate in his eyes when he found out about Bucky."

"Can you blame him?"

"No, but – "

"Then talk to him. We need the two of you on good terms if we're going to get through this."

Steve sighed. He knew it was the truth.

"Come on," Bruce stood up. "Let's go see how he's doing."

Steve followed him in silence. He hated himself for feeling this way. Tony had been one of his closest friends. But so had Bucky, and he couldn't let them kill each other. Bucky wasn't himself when everything happened. He knew Tony knew that deep down, but he didn't blame him for being blinded by anger. Even the most rational person would be in that situation.

"So what do you think Pym's machine is?"

"I know it has to do with the quantum realm, but –"

"The what?" Steve had made sure to catch up on a lot of things since coming out of the ice all those years ago, but that didn't sound familiar.

"It's … complicated," Bruce smiled. "I think it's basically a tunnel that takes you there. He'd been working on one for years, to reach his wife."

"She was there?"

"She got trapped there a few decades ago during a mission," Bruce explained. "If he built one this small, then he likely perfected the technology. But it's not something I know how to use."

"What do you think he was doing with the machine?"

"Using one that small won't do any good in the search for his wife. So I'm assuming he either found her and moved on to something else – or he was researching something."

"Barton said there were three piles of dust near the equipment. You think Lang was with them?"

"I don't know," Bruce sighed. "Honestly, I hope he's in the machine and he might know something we don't."

"Wait – " Steve stopped walking again, trying to process everything. "You think Lang is in that thing?"

"If there is one thing I've learned over the last few years it's that anything is possible."

"But why would he be in there?"

"Like I said, Hank could have been researching something. With a machine that small, he must've had a good handle on how it worked."

The pair resumed walking once more, Steve silently contemplating everything Bruce had just said.

"If he is in there – do you think he would have survived the Snap?"

"It's possible. From what I've read of Hank's work, the Quantum Realm works a hell of a lot differently than ours."

"Then how do we get him out?"

"That's where Tony and Shuri come in," Bruce nodded at the lab that now loomed in front of them. "Between the three of us – we'll think of something." He paused for a moment, before adding with a smile: "And by the three of us, I mean it'll probably be mostly Shuri. That girl knows her stuff."

"You're enjoying working with her," Steve noted.

"It's not often I'm upstaged in a lab," Bruce chuckled. "It's fun being challenged. Tony's ego will take a hit at first, but he'll get over it."

Together they entered the lab, and Bruce guided them up to where Tony was being treated.

"Why the lab?" Steve asked, as they made their way up the steps. "Why not the infirmary?"

"Whatever Thanos hit him with likely wasn't a very Earthly weapon," Bruce explained. "They thought it would be best to monitor him here, where most of the best technology is."

"Is there such a thing as bad technology in this city?"

Bruce responded with a laugh as they navigated to the right room. A window allowed them to see the lab Tony was being monitored in. Since his arrival, they'd managed to get him to change clothes and bandage a few of the minor injuries on his arms and face. The injury to his side though – that was still open.

"My god," Steve breathed.

Whatever Thanos hit him with, it went clean through him. Rhodey was beside Tony, helping hold him up so both sides of the stab wound could be checked. Steve couldn't see his face, but he knew he had to be in pain.

"She'll use vibranium to heal him," Bruce watched them work. "It's incredible. I'd never imagined it had healing purposes."

As the seconds ticked by, the pair watched as the wound appeared to stitch itself back together. To Bruce, it looked like science at work. To Steve, it may as well have been magic.

After about an hour, Shuri came out to speak with them.

"He'll be fine," she smiled. "He'll be sore for a couple of days, but he'll survive. His friend assures me he's strong and stubborn."

"Wait until he gets to work on the machine Clint brought," Bruce grinned. "Then you'll see how stubborn he can be."

"Speaking of that – show me what you've found," she gestured to what Steve assumed was her section of the lab. "You say it's a sort of realm traveling device?"

Their conversation faded away with their footsteps, leaving Steve alone. Finally, he took a deep breath and headed into Tony's room. Rhodey was helping him adjust to a comfortable sitting position.

"Hi Tony," Steve said.

Rhodey kindly excused himself, saying he had to go update Natasha and the others on Tony's condition.

"Cap," Tony finally said.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a giant purple alien ran me through with a sword."

"Where did he find you?"

" _We_ found _him_ ," Tony corrected. "That wizard and I ended up on his home planet." His face fell for a moment. "The kid too."

"And they … "

"Yeah. The blue chick and I were the only two left. Rhodey told me what happened here."

Steve nodded.

"He also told me you sent Sharon to protect Pepper," Tony said after a moment.

"As soon as we got in touch with her, yes." Steve finally relaxed a bit, but he stayed close to the door. "She wouldn't come here right away, though. We convinced her to at least work out of Avengers headquarters for a bit. She's been helping reach out to anybody who could still be alive."

"Any luck?"

"Just Clint," Steve sighed. "Everybody else … well, you saw what happened."

Tony was silent for a moment, contemplating everything that had happened.

"Pepper will be here in a few hours," Steve looked down at the floor. "She and a few SHIELD agents have worked to secure the old headquarters."

"Thank you."

Steve finally met Tony's eyes.

"You kept her safe," he said. "I appreciate that."

"Just doing my job," Steve pointed out.

"No," Tony strained as he stood up from the exam table.

Steve stepped forward to help, but Tony put out a hand to stop him.

"I'm fine," he assured him. "That vibranium works wonders. I can't believe dad only thought to use it for a shield."

"It was a good idea at the time," Steve pointed out.

"Seriously though," Tony said, once he was steady on his feet. "Thank you. I owe you for that one."

"No, you really don't. I should have told you about Bucky sooner. I just didn't want to bring up bad memories."

"Yeah, well … shit happens, I guess. Rhodey told me he was one of the first to fade. I'm sorry."

"Dr. Banner assures me we'll figure out what happened. Especially with help from you and Shuri."

"That's the girl who was working on me, right? She knows her stuff."

"You don't know the half of it," Steve smiled. "She's the one who fixed Bucky."

"And apparently healed a CIA agent who was shot in the spine."

"What?"

"Rhodey was bragging about her while she worked her magic. Her brother's the king of this place?"

"Yeah. He disappeared though. She's in charge until we figure out how to bring everybody back."

Steve offered to walk him to Shuri's lab, so he could see what she and Bruce were working on. Tony accepted, provided he could walk on his own.

"After hours traveling through space, sitting is the last thing I want to do right now," he said.

They headed down the hall, joining up with Rhodey along the way.

"Just heard from Pepper," he held up a tablet. "She'll be landing in about 3 hours. The old headquarters is fully locked down for now."

"Why does everybody keep referred to my multi-million dollar project as 'old?'"

Rhodey filled him in on the situation across the U.S.

"Still," Tony insisted. "That building is not old."

"No, but it is very outdated compared to this place," Rhodey pointed out, as he opened the door into the Shuri's lab.

Tony ignored him, his attention focused on the high-tech toys that now sat in front of him. Bruce and Shuri were hunched over the mysterious machine, which – to Steve's surprise – was still inside the van. He wondered how they managed to get it up here, but decided not to ask.

"So this is what Pym has been working on?" Tony asked.

Bruce looked up, and hugged his friend. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. What the hell is this thing?"

"Pym's latest project."

"This is his quantum realm thingy?"

Shuri quirked an eyebrow at his term.

"He is a genius, I assure you," Bruce smiled. "Yes, this is his Quantum Realm Tunnel."

"Why is it in the back of a beat up old van?"

"Convenience?" Rhodey suggested. He didn't say anything else after seeing the look on the scientists' faces.

"What do you think he was doing?" Tony asked.

"We were hoping you might know," said Shuri.

"I haven't spoken to Hank since I was a kid."

"But he knew your father," Steve eyed the equipment. "Do you remember your father saying anything about his Pym's work?"

"Only that he was looking for his wife," Tony thought aloud. "But the machine he was working on for that was ten times this size."

"We're assuming he perfected the technology," Bruce filled him in. "Meaning he either found his wife, or gave up in favor of this."

"No, he's not the 'give up' type," Tony said, eyeing the data scrolling across the screen. "He probably found her."

"So then what's this device for?" Shuri repeated the question.

"He must've figured out something else," Tony mused. Something on the monitor caught his eye. "Wait – what's this?"

Bruce rushed over to the monitor, Shuri on his heels.

"We haven't seen anything like this yet," the princess examined the data.

The tree of them began mumbling theories, while Steve and Rhodey looked on in confusion.

"Do you have any idea what they're saying?" a new voice said behind them.

"No idea," Steve turned to see Natasha slip through the door. "They're on to something though."

"Clearly," she eyed the group. "There hasn't been this much excitement since Clint brought that thing here."

"That's a person?" Tony's shocked tone caught Steve's attention.

"What? Somebody is in that thing?" Rhodey stepped forward. "How is that possible?"

"Is it Lang?" Steve asked.

"Possibly," Bruce answered without looking up. "But why?"

"Did any of you hear about the incident in California a couple weeks before Thanos' attack?" Natasha asked.

The silence that followed was a clear answer. She briefly explained what she read online: a creature that seemed to phase through the air, a crook, and Ant Man and the Wasp fought throughout the city. She paused to explain what she knew about the Wasp when she saw the confused look on the group's faces.

"What were they fighting over?" Rhodey asked.

"Don't know," Natasha replied. "Something for Pym's machine, I think."

"That doesn't explain why somebody is in that thing," Steve pointed out. "Or how we get them out."

"That might not be too hard," Tony said, tapping away at the computer. "His tech hasn't changed _that_ much from what I remember. Give me a minute here."

The rest of the group watched intently as data flashed across the screen. Bruce seemed to catch on, and went to work on a second computer nearby. Shuri waited by the machine for whatever was about to come out of it. As the lights of the tunnel began to flicker Steve, Rhodey and Natasha took an instinctive step back.

Seconds later, a beam of light shot out of the van, and Scott Lang materialized before them. He was in his Ant Man suit, carrying a white cannister.

"What the hell," he stumbled for a moment, before finding his balance. Then he noticed the group staring at him. "Where the hell am I? Captain America? What is happening?"

"Slow down Lang," Steve took a step forward. "You've … missed a lot."

Scott peeled off his mask, dropping it and the canister on the floor. "How long have I been in there?"

"At least two weeks," Natasha said cautiously.

"Oh shit," he groaned. "My daughter is gonna kill me. I was supposed to take her for ice cream."

"Scott you should sit down," Steve suggested. "A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks."

Shuri excused herself to go speak with city leaders about the new guest. Bruce and Tony worked to shut down the machine while the other three filled Scott in on everything that happened.

"Three piles of dust were found near the machines when Clint found them," Natasha wrapped up the story.

"That would have been the Pyms and Hope," he groaned. "Shit. I need to get back and check on my daughter-"

"We checked there when looking for you," Rhodey said. "All we found was more dust."

Scott's face fell.

"I'm sorry, Scott," Steve said. Steve could barely handle the loss of his friends. The loss of a child? He couldn't imagine what Scott and Clint were going through.

"So … everybody just … turned to dust?" the former thief tried to piece together everything he had just been told.

"Half the world," Natasha corrected gently. "Or, half the universe I guess, given what happened to Tony on Titan."

"And the giant purple bastard got away?"

"For now," Tony joined the conversation. "There are more than a few people who want his head on a spike. It's only a matter of time until he's found."

"You really think he's still here on Earth?" Rhodey asked.

"Even if he isn't, we'll find him," Bruce chimed in. "Thor has been reaching out to his contacts that could still be alive. Plus, we have Rocket and Nebula. They'll be able to search more of the galaxy than we can. Thanos will pay for what he's done."

"It's just a matter of who gets to him first, at this point," Steve said grimly.

"My money is on Nebula," Tony said. "She does not mess around."

"Or Thor," Natasha pointed out. "I heard he gave Thanos a pretty good beatdown."

Steve offered to take Scott to the rooms the Avengers had been given, and promised to give him a tour of the city later. The newer Avenger still seemed unsure of everything, and Steve couldn't blame him. It's a lot to take in, especially if you missed all the action.

"Take your time," Steve suggested once they were on their way. "I can't imagine what the last two weeks have been like for you."

"Weird," Scott mumbled. "Extremely weird."

"Right. Well, we're in what is easily the safest city in the world. With the best technology. We'll find Thanos. We'll bring our families back."

"Thanks Cap," Scott smiled sadly.

After the men parted ways, Steve decided to head back to his own room. It would still be a while before Pepper arrived, and he wouldn't see her right away. She needed to see that Tony was okay before meeting anybody else. Once everybody was in Wakanda, they could piece together a more thought-out plan for handling Thanos. Then, just maybe, they'd stand a chance against the mad Titan.


End file.
